Machine for filling containers with liquids



Oct. 18, 1949. L; CLARKE 2,485,190

. MACHINE FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUIDS Filed Aug. 9, 1945 Q' 14 f 2 I 219 2s 2s so 3! If 24 QL V A2 "3% 1 1( I j l x I \g 4 2 E g 5 f 7 50 1Ef I Inventor Leslie per EMMA, MERMLMAL Attorney Patented Oct. 18,1949

MAGHINE FOR umus CONTAINERS W TH LIQUIDS Leslie Clarke, Stockport, England, assignor of one-half to Bratby and Hinchliffe Limited, Manchester, Lancashire, England App ication August 9, 1945, Serial No', 609,741 In Great Britain September 30, 1944 This invention relates to machines for filling containers, such as bottles and the like, with liquids containing gas, such as water, beer, wine and so forth containing carbon dioxide, and also for filling containers with liquids not containing gas.

The said machines usually comprise one or more filling heads projecting below a closed filling tank which contains the liquid under pressure, that part of the tank which is above the level of the liquid being full or gas or air under pressure. The supply of gas and liquid from the tank to the container is controlled by valves.

A machine for filling containers with liquid in accordance with my invention comprises me chanical means situated within a filling tank and acting positively on two filling valves provided on a displaceable member through which the container is filled so as to keep the said valves positively closed whilst the displaceable member is in its initial position and positively close the said valves by utilization of the movement of the said member performed in returning to the said initial position.

Mechanical means may also be provided within the filling tank for positively opening one or both of the said valves by utilization of the movement of the said member performed in its displacement from the said initial position.

Spring means may be provided within the filling tank for forcibly opening one or both of the said valves when they are free of the action of the mechanical means provided for closing them and keeping them closed.

Mechanical means may also be provided outside the tank for positively opening a snift valve by utilization of the movement of the said member in returning to the said initial position.

Spring means may be providedon the snift valve for forcibly closing it when it is free of the action of the mechanical means which opens it positively.

The filling valves are preferably clack Valves provided with cam surfaces adapted to cooper-'- ate with stationary abutments within the filling tank so as to control the said valves.

The shift valve is preferably a sliding valve acted on by a compression spring in the direction of closure and by a stationary cam surface provided on the head outside the filling tank in the direction of opening.

The various cam surfaces and abutments and the clack valves and snift valves are so spaced from one another as to produce opening and closure of the valves inthe correct order and at the correct periods during the displacement of 6 Claims. (Cl. 226-.-124') the: said filling member by movement of the con taineit and the return of the, filling member to its initial position when the container is withdrawn, whereby firstly' the gas or air filling valve is automatically opened, secondly the liquid fill ing valve is opened, thirdly bot-h fillingvalves are closed, and finally the sniift, valve is opened, all

during the displacement of. the filling member by the container from and the, return of the filling member to the initial position.

Springs within the, filling tank may be employed to; return the filling member to its initial position.

The. accompanying drawings show a construc-: tion in accordance with my invention. In the drawiihgs Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view section of a portion of a, machine for filling con tainers with liquid.

Figure 2 is a detached fragmentary side view ofi parts shown in Fi ure 1.

Figure 3; is a; fragmentary plan view in section taken on a line corresponding with line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, in the construction shown therein which shows one filling head only, the filling head or each filling head of the ma,- chine for filling containers, for example bottles-,- comprises a plug I secured from below in an aperture in the bottom of the filling tank 2; in a liq id and gas tight manner. The plug I has an. axial, cylindrical aperture the upper and lower parts of which are of increased diameter. The upper part of the aperture has secured in it from above a tube segment. 3 having a gap 4 extending axially from its lower extremity to its upper extremity. The lower part of the aperture' has screwed into it an annular internal nut: 5 which acts on an annular packing B to maintain a. gas and water tight joint between theplug I and an externally cylindrical filling member t which extends from below the plug l upwards through the plug I, packing 6 and tube segment 3 to. beyond the upper extremity of the tube segment 3. The filling member 1 slides in and is guided by the tube segment 3 and also slides in and is guided by the plug l-. The filling member 1 is therefore free to slide vertically in the plug I and tube Segment 3. The lower end of the filling member 1 is provided with a nozzle 8: having a part 5 adapted to engage and form a seal with the mouth of the container [0, of which only the upper part of the neck is shown, and furnished witha liquid outlet II.

A central tube 2 is provided in the filling member I and extends from below the part 9 upwards to near the upper end of the filling member I where it joins a chamber I3 having a radial port l4 extending through a lug I5 projecting radially from the filling member I and forming a fiat annular valve seat at its extremity. The liquid outlet II is at the lower end of an annular passage I6 surrounding the central tube I2. The upper end of the annular passage I6 is connected toa radial port I! extending through a lug I8 formed with a flat annular valve seat at its extremity. The lug l8 projects through the gap 4 in the tube segment 3.

Below the lug I5 the filling member I has a forked bracket l9 to which there is pivoted at right angles to the axis of the filling member I a two-armed valve lever on a pivot pin 2|. The lever 29 has at the end of the upper arm a cup 22 containing a fiat valve washer 23 adapted to rest against the valve seat on the lug I5. On the lower arm of the lever 20 there is a sliding cam surface 24 which by cooperation with an abutment roller 25 provided on a pin 26 on a fork bracket 21 carried by the tube segment 3 keeps the valve washer 23 positively pressed on its seat and the valve therefore positively closed whilst the filling member 'I is in its inition or normal position. The bracket 21 has an abutment roller 28 provided on a pin 29. The roller 28 by cooperation with a sliding cam surface 30 on the reverse side of the said lower arm of the lever 20, positively withdraws the valve washer 23 from its seat and therefore positively opens the valve automatically when the filling member I and therefore the lever 20 is pushed upwards from its initial position by the container III. A stop stud 3| is provided on the filling member I for the lower arm of the lever 20 to impinge against and thereby positively limit the extent to which the said valve can open. The said valve is above the highest liquid level, which is indicated at 32, and serves to control the passage of gas or air from above the liquid to the cen- 1716a,] tube l2 and from thence into the container l Above the lug l8 there is a forked bracket 33 to which there is pivoted at right angles to the axis of the filling member I a two-armed lever 34 by means of a pin 35. The lower arm of the lever 34 has a cup 36 containing a fiat valve washer 31 adapted to rest against the valve seat on the lug IS. The upperarm of the lever 34 has a sliding cam surface 38 which by cooperation with an abutment roller 39 provided on a pin 40 on a bracket 4I carried by the tube segment 3, keeps the valve washer 31 positively pressed on the said seat and therefore the valve closed whilst the filling member I is in the initial position. The lower arm of the lever 34 is acted on by a coiled compression spring 42 interposed with initial compression between the filling member I and the lower arm of the lever 34 and accommodated by the gap 4. When the filling member I and therefore the lever 34 has been pushed up by the container l0 so far that the cam surface 38 has passed the roller 39, the compression spring 42 actuates the lever 34 to withdraw the valve washer 3! from its seat and therefore forcibly opens the said valve. Impingement against the roller 39 by that part of the upper arm of the lever 34 which is below the cam surface 38 limits the extent of withdrawal of the valve washer 31 from its seat. This valve controls the passage of liquid from the tank 2 the annular passage l6 and from thence to the 4 liquid outlet II and is as near as is convenientto the bottom of the tank 2.

The individual lengths of the cam surfaces 24, 30 and 38 and the spacing of them apart in the direction of movement of the filling member- I are such that in operation, the following occurs:

In the initial position of the filling member 1,, the gas or air valve I5, 22 and liquid valve I8,. 36 are kept positively shut by the respective cams and abutment rollers. As the container I0 applied to part 9 of the nozzle 8 is pushed upwards and therefore pushes the filling member I upwards, the cam surface 24 slides past its abutment roller 25 until it leaves the gas or air valve I5, 22 free to open. At or immediately after that moment, the cam surface 30 slides into contact with and comes under the action of its abutment roller 28 and thereby positively opens the gas or air valve I5, 22 to allow gas or air from the filling tank 2 to fill the container Ill. During the whole of the so far considered portion of the upward movement the cam surface 38 slides along its abutment roller 39 which therefore keeps the liquid valve I8, 36 positively closed. As the filling member I continues to be pushed upwards, the cam surface 38 passes its abutment roller 39 which therefore no longer prevents the compression spring 42 from opening the liquid Valve I8, 36 and the valve I8, 36 is forcibly opened and kept open by the compression spring 42, whilst the gas or air valve I5, 22 is still open. Liquid is therefore free to flow by gravity from the filling tank 2 into the container I0 until it is filled to a level determined by the tube I2, whereupon the filling member I may be caused, by lowering the container ID, to commence its descent to the initial position.

Arms 43 are provided at the upper end of the filling member I and are connected by coiled tension springs 44 under initial tension to the plug I. The springs 44 are further tensioned when the filling member I is pushed upwards by the container l0. When the container II] is lowered, the tension springs 44 cause the filling member I to descend to its initial position. During this descent the abutment roller 25 acts on the cam surface 24 to positively close the gas or air valve I5, 22 and keep it positively closed, and the abutment roller 39 acts on the cam surfaces 38 to close the liquid valve I8, 36 and keep it positively closed against the action of the compression spring 42.

Below the filling tank 2 there is provided on the nozzle 8 of the filling member 1 a shift valve 45 which slides at right angles to the axis of the filling member I and is connected by a passage 45 to the annular passage I6 above the level which the liquid attains in the container Ill. The shift valve 45 therefore ascends and descends with the filling member I. It opens towards the filling member I and has in it a coiled compression 1 spring 41 which acts to force the valve 45 onto and keep it forcibly on its seat which is in the form of a fiat ring washer 48. Therefore the snift valve 45 is kept shut at all times except when it is acted on by a stationary cam surface 49 provided on a member 55 connected to the plug I beneath the filling tank 2. The valve 45 has a sliding valve spindle 5| and the cam surface 49 and end of the valve spindle 5|! are adapted to cooperate to open the valve 45 and keep it open against the action of the compression spring 47 in certain positions of the filling member I. These positions are where the filling member I is in its initial position, as shown in the drawings and in successive .aseaiao positions above the initial-l1 position; but never where the gas Mair-filling. valve I5 23, and: the liquid filling valve I8, 36 are opens Therefore until the container H) has pushed the filling member 1 up sufliciently to open the filling valves, the shift valve 45 is positively kept open for a period, but its spindle 5| slides upwards out. of control of the cam surface 4'9. and it"i's' forcibly closed by the spring 41 before the filling valves are opened. Whilst the filling. valvesare being operated and until the filling, member I has been allowed to descend and approachesits initial position the snift valve 45' remains forcibly-closed by the spring. '41. After filling is' complete the descending valve spindle 5| impinges against, and is acted on by the cam surfacelfis to. open the snift valve 65 and thereby permitthe air or gas under pressure above the liquid in the container It to escape from the container l0.

The two-armed lever 2-9 islso, formed andhun on its pivot 2i that it is held by gravity lightly against its stop stud 3! with its valve washer 23 away from its seat. Therefore the gas or air filling valve I5, 22 remains open after it has been positively opened by the cam surface 30 and roller 29 and the cam surface 30 has risen out of contact with the roller 29. However in the event of bursting of a container during filling or the introduction of a bottle with chipped neck, the gravitational force is insufficient to prevent the action of the consequent sudden surge of gas or air from closing the gas or air filling valve I5, 22 and thereby preventing unnecessary wastage of gas or air. ihe pressure of the spring 42 which acts to keep the liquid filling valve I8, 36 open is made sufficiently slight to allow the sudden surge of liquid which occurs when a container bursts during filling to act on the liquid filling valve 3, 36 to close it and thereby prevent unnecessary wastage of liquid.

I claim:

1. A machine for filling containers with liquid, comprising a filling tank, a linearly displaceable member projecting from within the filling tank to a point below the filling tank for filling a container, two filling valves situated inside the filling tank and carried by the displaceable member for controlling the escape of gas and liquid from the filling tank into the container, means wholly inside the filling tank for operating the valves by displacement of the displaceable member, a sniit valve situated outside the tank and provided on the displaceable member, mechanical means outside the filling tank for opening the snift valve by displacement of the displaceable member, and spring means on the snift valve for forcibly closing it when it is not opened by the said mechanical means.

2. A machine for filling containers with liquids, comprising a filling tank, a filling member mounted to slide upwardly and downwardly through the bottom of the tank and extending from beneath the filling tank into the filling tank to above the highest level of liquid therein, a passage in the filling member extending from below liquid level to the bottom of the filling member, a second passage mainly in the filling member and extending from above the highest liquid level to beneath the filling member, a stationary guide in the filling tank for supporting and guiding the filling member, a clack valve pivotally mounted on the filling member inside the tank and controlling the inlet to the first named passage, a cam surface on the clack valve, an abutment situated inside the filling tank and by cooperation -.with the cam surface closing: and Ker-ai ingthe clack valve closed positively, a second clack valve pivotally mounted. on the filling member inside the filling, tank and controlling the inlet; tothe :second, passage, acam surface on the. second. clack valve, am abutment; situatedinside the filling tank and by cooperation, with thesecond named cam .snrface; closing and keeping the second clackvalve closed positively, a second. cam surface. on, the. see- 10nd. clack: valve, a further abutment situated in? side. the filling tank. and by cooperation with the second, cam surface on the second. clack. valve opening; and keeping open. positively the,- second clack. valve, a vent passage provided in the filling memberin communication with the first: passage,

a snift valve. provided on the filling member; be.- .neath. the: filling: tank. and keeping the vent passage; closed; and a cam surface. provided outside the filling tank and bycooperation with the. snift valve. opening the said snift valve, all at the. predetermined: times and for the predetermined pea. container from the atmosphere, a liquid conducting passage in the said member, a separate gas conducting passage in the said member, a liquid control valve carried and conveyed by the said member, and situated wholly inside the filling tank for controlling the admission of liquid from the tank into the liquid conducting passage, a gas control valve carried and conveyed by the said member and situated within the tank for controlling the flow of gas alon the gas conducting passage, immovable means wholly within the tank for positively actuating the liquid control valve and the gas control valve separately and independently in one direction at the necessary times by utilization of the conveying motion imparted to the two valves by the slidable member when actuated, and means for actuating the said two valves separately and independently in the reverse direction.

4. A machine for filling containers with liquid, comprising a filling tank, a displaceable member projecting from outside the filling tank to the interior of the filling tank for filling a container, valves provided on the displaceable member inside the filling tank for controlling the flow of the contents of the tank through the displaceable member, mechanical means inside the tank for positively closing the valves and keeping them closed, means inside the container for opening the valve, a snift valve provided on the displaceable member for releasing pressure created in the container, a spring for closing the snift valve and mechanical means outside the filling tank for positively opening the snift valve during a return movement of the displaceable member to an initial position.

5. A machine for filling containers with liquid, comprising a filling tank, a linearly displaceable member projecting from within the filling tank to a point below the filling tank for filling a container, two passages in the displaceable member for the passage of liquid and gas separately therethrough, two valves situated inside the filling tank and carried by the displaceable member for independently controlling the passage of gas and liquid through the said passages, and means wholly inside the filling tank for operating the valves solely by displacement of the displaceable member. 1

6. A machine for filling containers with liquid, comprising a filling tank, a linearly displaceable member projecting from within the filling tank to a point below the filling tank, a gas massage and a separate liquid passage in the displaceable member for the interchange of gas and liquid between the tank and the container, separate lateral ports in the displaceable member leading to the said passages and having inlet orifices, two separate two-armed levers situated wholly inside the tank and pivotally mounted on the displaceable member, sealing means on one arm of each of the levers for sealing the inlet orifices of the said ports, a cam surface on the other arm of each of the levers for actuation of the levers in one'direction, and lever operating means wholly within the tank for applying the sealing means to and removing the sealing means from the inlet orifices of the lateral ports by operation of the 8 said leversand thereby controlling the interchange of gas and liquid between the tank and. the container.

' LESLIE CLARKE. 

